1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a folding device for an automatic sewing machine, which comprises a workpiece-receiving plate for a lower workpiece; an upper sword, mounted on a sword support, for receiving an upper workpiece; and an outer frame mounted on an outer-frame support and having folding modules for folding the upper workpiece about outer edges of the upper sword; the upper sword being movable, by the motion of its sword support, between a lower working position adjacent to the workpiece-receiving plate and an upper working position above the workpiece-receiving plate; and the outer frame being movable, by the motion of its support, into a lower working position adjacent to the workpiece-receiving plate and at least into a working position that corresponds to the upper working position of the upper sword; and the upper sword being movable from its working position into a retracted position in which it is with drawn from the upper workpiece.
2. Background Art
In a folding device of the generic type known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,572, a pocket cut is placed as an upper workpiece on the upper sword. Then the marginal portions of the pocket cut are folded about the outer edges of the sword by means of folding modules. Then the sword provided with the folded pocket cut is lowered onto the lower workpiece, for instance a trouser piece located on the carrier plate, and the sword is withdrawn. The folding strips of the folding modules are withdrawn too, and the outer frame is moved upwards.
A folding device of this type ensures that even comparatively small pockets, so-called watch pockets, can be placed on a cut to be pieced on, with which they will then be sewn. The sewing of the to-be-pieced-on cut onto pocketing material will take place subsequently at a standard sewing-workplace.